When patrons enter the Magic Bear Beer Cellar in Buffalo’s Larkinville, they’re surrounded by colorful, immersive murals designed and painted by Christy Francis, research and creative director at Daemen.
To boot, Francis is also coordinating a cross-promotional social media campaign between the college and the small business around its grand opening in early December.
The unique collaboration is part of a renewed emphasis at the college to forge creative outreach and engagement projects with businesses and communities around western New York.
Recent examples include the college’s partnership with Sweet Jenny’s Ice Cream to create a special Willie the Wildcat-themed flavor and launching a lecture series and “selfie spot” downtown with WNY Book Arts Center.
While Francis took on the project as a consultant, the subsequent marketing collaboration was borne from her role at the college.
“Community outreach and engagement can take many forms,” said Francis, who has also taught entrepreneurship classes at the college. “While our Amherst campus is where we call home, making Daemen’s presence felt off-campus helps the college reach new audiences and create new partnerships.”
A classroom for food and drink
Education will be a special emphasis of the store, which will host classes, tastings, pairings and opportunities to learn from brewers and a Certified Cicerone®, including the shop’s founder Craig Altobello.
A former mathematics teacher, Altobello has also worked in hospitality for more than two decades – helping oversee the launch of (716) Food & Sport and The Draft Room downtown – in connection with Pegula Sports & Entertainment – in recent years.
The new store will offer a curated selection of beers, seltzers, ciders, meads and wine. Cheese boards, charcuterie, and other sharable snacks will also be on the menu.
To craft the shop’s atmosphere and experience, Altobello turned to Francis, who has worked with an array of other organizations on marketing and creative campaigns.
“I told Christy,” he said, “I want the shop to feel like Alice in Wonderland going down the rabbit hole.”
The murals, which Francis painted by hand, were transferred onto vinyl sheets that wrap the shop’s walls.
In flowing brush strokes, the murals create whimsical, dream-like scenes that pay tribute to the ingredients of beer, including both an immersive 360-degree barley field and hop yard.
An adjacent wall brings to life the store’s namesake Magic Bear in an environment populated with mushrooms, forest critters and a waterfall.
“You’re transported to these places Christy has created – it’s a memorable experience that sets us apart,” said Altobello. “It’s a learning atmosphere that’s also playful, a little academic, and welcoming to all.”